With the holidays around the corner, I've rounded up the best gifts to give your interior design clients. This should be part of your marketing plan as well as a nice gesture and relationship building.

Your marketing plan should include a yearly holiday card (any holiday is good, not just the December ones!) or a card on their birthday or anniversary at minimum. This keeps you on their mind. It is also nice to send cards to vendors you work closely with or who had great customer service this year.

There are a few things I feel strongly about when you’re running an interior design business. Most of the time, it doesn’t matter how you do it, just that it gets done. One of those things I feel is a critical part of running an interior design business is telling people what to expect.

Unmet expectations are one of the most common reasons for unhappy clients and issues on projects. (You can read more about that in Why Projects Fail.)

But setting expectations isn’t just for clients, it is also important …

How can I find good vendors is a popular question from new designers. Finding vendors takes time. It’ll take trial and error and research on your part. There is no quick fix. You can read more about finding quality vendors in this article.

So after you’ve found vendors, you need to develop good relationships with them for maximum benefit in your business. (I’m using a blanket term “vendors” for tradespeople, workrooms, suppliers, manufacturers, showrooms, etc.) These people are extensions of your business and will help you run your business smoother and more efficiently if you consider them part of your extended team.

As a business, you deserve to be profitable. Running a business is a challenge and too often we settle for “just getting by”. We shouldn’t settle. We shouldn’t compromise on profitability. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to forget that we’re running a business and the goal of any business is to make money.

Something came up last night during our local designer’s dinner that I wanted to share with you. One of the designers had created a package option in which she did all the shopping and none of the procurement, almost like a local e-design.

She shared that she doesn’t provide options for that package, just the single design plan, and was considering doing the same for her full-service clients as well.

Capella Kincheloe

Business Training for Interior Designers

I'm Capella. I am an interior designer who helps fellow designers build their businesses. Designers should support and uplift each other. A rising tide lifts all boats, by helping and boosting fellow designers I believe together we can elevate the business of interior design. Learn More